given Hockey beliefs, yeah I'd be pretty disappointed if he didn't say that sort of stuff about welfare but nevertheless I'm not sure if the rest of the party would be thrilled

Except the HK unemployment benefit is higher than Newstart, to begin with....

Hockey's speech is bizarre in the current climate when they are ahead in the polls. You've got a Shadow Treasurer saying the culture of entitlement is too great in a country where the take by welfare is less than half that of the countries in financial strife in Europe; while at the same time opposing the proposed means testing of every piece of middle class welfare (baby bonus for one) put up by the government, supporting a Paid Parental Leave Program which is not means tested and is incredibly expensive, supports his leader who says mlitary pensions should be doubled and presumably he also supports negative gearing, and was part of the government which deferred extending superannuation payments from 9% to 12% a decade ago, despite a booming economy. The latter alone would have reduced the welfare take from aged pensions enormously.

It seems pretty obvious this is also a slap at Joyce for his absurd suggestions last week about doubling the baby bonus or whatever it was. There are some pretty deep divisions within the coalition at the moment between the free marketeers and the agrarian socialists. They're largely papered over because they're ahead in the polls, but they are real and they are pretty big.

It's hilarious how many (at least 90% of WA's) hate Gillard. The mining tax is seen as a 'success tax' to prop up NSW/Vic. Ha ha!

The Tony Abbott is 'spooky' meme is out there but it isn't a patch on 'this country is stuffed' that the Libs have managed to get out to the blue collar voter on $150k. Same issues; my nanna get's less than a refugee after working 40 years in Aus and the ALP are ruining the country.